Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with improved mental and cognitive health in older adults from non-Western developing countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin H Gehlich ◽  
Johannes Beller ◽  
Bernhard Lange-Asschenfeldt ◽  
Wolfgang Köcher ◽  
Martina C Meinke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Verbal Recall

AbstractObjectivesConsumption of fruits and vegetables has been shown to contribute to mental and cognitive health in older adults from Western industrialized countries. However, it is unclear whether this effect replicates in older adults from non-Western developing countries. Thus, the present study examined the contribution of fruit and vegetable consumption to mental and cognitive health in older persons from China, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Ghana.DesignRepresentative cross-sectional and cross-national study.Setting/SubjectsWe used data from the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE), sampled in 2007 to 2010. Our final sample size included 28 078 participants.ResultsFruit and vegetable consumption predicted an increased cognitive performance in older adults including improved verbal recall, improved delayed verbal recall, improved digit span test performance and improved verbal fluency; the effect of fruit consumption was much stronger than the effect of vegetable consumption. Regarding mental health, fruit consumption was significantly associated with better subjective quality of life and less depressive symptoms; vegetable consumption, however, did not significantly relate to mental health.ConclusionsConsumption of fruits is associated with both improved cognitive and mental health in older adults from non-Western developing countries, and consumption of vegetables is associated with improved cognitive health only. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption might be one easy and cost-effective way to improve the overall health and quality of life of older adults in non-Western developing countries.

scholarly journals Preliminary Examination of the Impact of a Gardening Program on Confidence, Physical Activity, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, and Quality of Life

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 783A-783
Author(s):  
Mu-Chuan Lin ◽  
Candice Shoemaker* ◽  
Nancy Gyurcsik
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Home Garden ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Impact

Older adults are not sufficiently physically active and do not consume sufficient fruits and vegetables to achieve health benefits, such as an improved health-related quality of life (HRQL). As a result, an innovative gardening intervention, comprised of stretching exercises, the teaching of home garden knowledge and skills, and the preparation and taste testing of fruits and vegetables, was developed to target increased: (a) confidence to garden and to consume fruits and vegetables, (b) physical activity, (c) fruit and vegetable consumption, and (d) HRQL. Seven older adults, aged 60 years or older, participated in the gardening intervention and 10 older adults participated in the control group during the fall. Measures of confidence, physical activity (i.e., gardening), fruit and vegetable consumption, and HRQL were obtained at baseline and at the end of the 10-week program. Findings revealed that, at baseline, intervention participants had significantly higher confidence to garden compared to control participants but at end-program intervention and control participants did not significantly differ in any of the outcome variables. Bivariate findings also revealed that intervention participants who had higher confidence to garden or to consume fruits and vegetables at baseline also gardened more at end-program. Thus, interventions targeting confidence to garden and to consume fruits and vegetables may be effective in improving gardening (i.e., physical activity) behavior. Findings also suggest that seasonal change may be one influential moderator of the gardening program on confidence and gardening and fruit and vegetable consumption behavior change. Future research should examine the impact of the program in different seasons to clarify the effects.

scholarly journals Fingerfoods: a clustered-randomized feasibility study to enhance fruit and vegetable consumption in Dutch patients with dementia in a nursing home

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemijn Visscher ◽  
Marieke CE Battjes-Fries ◽  
Ondine van de Rest ◽  
Olga N Patijn ◽  
Mascha van der Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Regular Diet

Abstract Background Eating problems are highly prevalent in older patients with dementia and as a consequence, patients are at greater risk of becoming malnourished. Fingerfoods, snacks that can be picked with thumb and forefinger, could be used to counteract malnutrition in patients with dementia. The aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate whether providing fingerfoods as snacks was feasible for both patients with dementia and caregivers. Secondary objectives were to explore the effects of fingerfoods on total fruit and vegetable consumption, nutritional status and quality of life. MethodsInstitutionalised patients with dementia ( N = 22, 86% female, mean age = 85 years) were included in this clustered randomized controlled feasibility trial in the Netherlands. The intervention group ( N = 15) received their regular diet supplemented with fingerfoods, comprising quiches and cakes rich in fruit or vegetables, for 6 weeks. The control group ( N = 7) received their regular diet. Daily fingerfood consumption of patients and attitude of caregivers towards the fingerfoods were recorded to measure feasibility of the intervention. Fruit and vegetable consumption (3-day food records), nutritional status (body mass index (BMI) and SNAQ rc scores) and quality of life (QoL) (QUALIDEM) were measured in the first and last intervention week. The effects of fingerfoods on these outcomes were analysed with paired t-tests, Chi-square tests and ANCOVA. Results Patients consumed on average 70 grams of fingerfoods daily, containing 41 grams of fruit/vegetables. The intervention was rated as positive by 58% of the caregivers. Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption, malnutrition risk and QoL scores during the study period did not significantly change in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusion This feasibility study showed that providing fingerfoods to patients with dementia seems feasible for both patients and caregivers and could provide a pragmatic approach to enhance fruit and vegetable consumption in institutionalized elderly. In future research, long-term effects of fingerfoods should be studied on larger scale to confirm these findings. Trial Registration: Requested.

scholarly journals Exploring the Relationship Between Lifestyle Behaviors and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults With Diabetes

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidi Qin ◽  
Julia E. Blanchette ◽  
Carolyn Murrock
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the association between 3 lifestyle behaviors (smoking, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among older adults diagnosed with diabetes. Methods A sample of the US population 65 years and older who were diagnosed with diabetes from the 2015 Behavioral Risk factor Surveillance System (N = 11 503) was analyzed. The 4 HRQOL measures were self-rated health, physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and impaired activity days in the past month. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict HRQOL. Results The multiple logistic regression results showed that smoking and lack of physical activity were significant predictors for higher odds of fair or poor self-rated health, more physically unhealthy days, more mentally unhealthy days, and more impaired activity days during past 30 days. No significant relationship was found between fruit and vegetable consumption and any HRQOL measure. Conclusions Findings imply that diabetes education could continue and enhance efforts in smoking cessation and increase physical activity to promote the HRQOL among older adults diagnosed with diabetes. In addition, the measure of fruit and vegetable consumption should be further studied to reflect the needs of older adults with diabetes.

scholarly journals Quality of life and self-rated health in relation to changes in fruit and vegetable intake and in plasma vitamins C and E in a randomised trial of behavioural and nutritional education counselling

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Linda Perkins-Porras ◽  
Sean Hilton ◽  
Elizabeth Rink ◽  
Francesco P. Cappuccio
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Nutritional Education ◽  
Self Rated Health

AbstractWe have carried out a randomised trial comparing brief behavioural counselling with nutritional education counselling to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and associated biomarkers in adults from a low-income neighbourhood. The objective of the present analysis was to assess the impact of interventions on quality of life and health status, and associations between changes in fruit and vegetable consumption, plasma vitamins C and E, and quality of life. Behavioural counselling and nutritional education counselling were carried out in 271 adults in two 15 min sessions in a primary-care setting. Physical and mental health status (medical outcome study short form 36) and self-rated health were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks and 12 months, and analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. Both groups reported increased fruit and vegetable consumption; plasma vitamin E and β-carotene also increased, with significantly greater changes in consumption and plasma β-carotene in the behavioural counselling condition. Physical and mental health status, and the proportion of participants in good self-rated health, increased in both groups to a similar extent. Individual differences in improvements in physical health status and self-rated health were correlated with increases in fruit and vegetable intake and in plasma vitamins C and E, independently of age, gender, ethnicity, financial status, smoking, BMI and use of vitamin supplements. We conclude that participation in the present study was associated with improved health-related quality of life. Increases in fruit and vegetable intake and plasma vitamin levels may stimulate beneficial changes in physical health status in socio-economically deprived adults.

scholarly journals Effect of increased fruit and vegetable consumption on physical function and muscle strength in older adults

AGE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 2409-2422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Neville ◽  
Ian S. Young ◽  
Sarah E. C. M. Gilchrist ◽  
Michelle C. McKinley ◽  
Andrew Gibson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable

scholarly journals Disparities in Mental Health Quality of Life Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White LGB Midlife and Older Adults and the Influence of Lifetime Discrimination, Social Connectedness, Socioeconomic Status, and Perceived Stress

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 991-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jun Kim ◽  
Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Health Quality ◽  
Health Quality Of Life ◽  
Hispanic White

We assessed factors contributing to ethnic and racial disparities in mental health quality of life (MHQOL) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) midlife and older adults. We utilized cross-sectional survey data from a sample of non-Hispanic White and Hispanic LGB adults aged 50 and older. Structural equation modeling was used to test the indirect effect of ethnicity/race on MHQOL via explanatory factors including social connectedness, lifetime discrimination, socioeconomic status (SES), and perceived stress. Hispanics reported significantly lower levels of MHQOL, compared to non-Hispanic Whites. In the final model, the association between ethnicity/race and MHQOL was explained by higher levels of perceived stress related to lower SES, higher frequency of lifetime discrimination, and lack of social connectedness among Hispanic LGB adults. This study suggests that perceived stress related to social disadvantage and marginalization plays an important role in MHQOL disparities among Hispanic LGB midlife and older adults.

scholarly journals Risk of falls and fear of falling in older adults residing in public housing in Ontario, Canada: findings from a multisite observational study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Pirrie ◽  
Guneet Saini ◽  
Ricardo Angeles ◽  
Francine Marzanek ◽  
Jenna Parascandalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Past ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Abstract Background Falls in older adults is a widely researched topic. However, older adults residing in public housing are a vulnerable population that may have unique risk factors for falls. This study aims to describe the prevalence and risk factors for falls, fear of falling, and seeking medical attending for falls in this population. Methods Sociodemographic and health-related data was collected as part of a community-based health assessment program with older adults in public housing. Three pre-screening questions identified individuals at potential risk for falls; individuals who screened positive performed the objective Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors for four outcome variables: falls in the past year, seeking medical attention for falls, fear of falling, and objectively measured fall risk via TUG test. Results A total of 595 participants were evaluated, of which the majority were female (81.3%), white (86.7%), did not have a high school diploma (50.0%), and reported problems in mobility (56.2%). The prevalence of falls in the past year was 34.5%, seeking medical attention for falls was 20.2% and fear of falling was 38.8%. The TUG test was completed by 257 participants. Notably, males had significantly reduced odds of seeking medical attention for a fall (OR = 0.50, 95%CI 0.25–0.98) and having a fear of falling (OR = 0.42, 95%CI 0.24–0.76); daily fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with decreased odds of having a fall in the past year (OR = 0.55, 95%CI 0.37–0.83), and alcohol consumption was associated with increased odds of fear of falling (OR = 1.72, 95%CI 1.03–2.88). Conclusion Older adults residing in public housing have unique risk factors associated with social determinants of health, such as low fruit and vegetable consumption, which may increase their risk for falls. The findings of this study can be used to inform falls interventions for this population and identify areas for further research.

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